Refillable eraser device



Sept. 15, 1953 E. H. METCALF REFILLABLE ERASER DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1952 A horneys INVENTOR. )6.

.lllulll' Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFILLABLE ERASER DEVICE Earl H. Metcalf, Ridgefield Park, N. J.

Application August 29, 1952, SerialNo. 807,044

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a refillable eraser device which is particularly useful in erasing one or more letters of typewritten matter without blurring or deleting the adjacent letter or letters.

The general object of the invention is to provide an erasing device of this kind which is characterized by the facts that the eraser element may be positively projected from the easing in a series of steps as it is worn away, by manually depressing a member which normally extends from the end of the casing opposite the end from which the eraser projects. After the eraser has been nearly completely consumed, a new eraser may be inserted in the casing while the manually-operable member is held depressed; and upon releasing of the latter the device is again ready for use.

The invention will be understood from the iollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which a preferred form of device is shown on an enlarged scale, and in which Fig; l is a plan View of the erasing device with a portion of the casing broken away so as to show the interior mechanism, the parts being shown in their normal positions after a new eraser has been inserted;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the left end of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, with the outer channel member of the casing removed, and with the manually-operable member nearly completely depressed;

Fig. l is a sectional elevation on the line li of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan View similar to Fig. 3, but with the manually-operable member in its normal position following the first actuation of the mechanism after the eraser been partially used Fig. 6 is a section on the line -45 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view, similar to Figs. 3 and 5, but with the manually-operable member completely depressed so as to permit the insertion of a new eraser;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line B t of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view, on a smaller scale. of the manually-operable member and the ratchet-bar carried thereby.

Referring to the drawing, the erasing device therein illustrated has an elongated casing which is rectangular in cross-section and preferably consists of an outer channel member iii, and an inner channel member [2 within which the various parts of the device are housed. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the channel members iii and I2 are retained in cooperative relationship, when the parts of the device are assembled, by lugs l4 and 16 which extend inwardly from one end of the sides of the outer channel member i0 and engage notches in the corresponding end of the outer sides of the inner channel member 12; and by projections l8 and 20 which are punched out of the side walls of the outer channel member l0 and cooperate with correspondingly located depressions 22 and 24 in the side walls of the inner channel member l2. It will be obvious that when the internal parts of the de vice have been assembled within the inner channel member :2, the outer channel member It is readily snapped into place on the inner channel member. For purposes hereinafter explained, the outer channel member I0 is provided, at its end which has the projections 68 and 29, with a folded-in portion 25 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A long and relatively thin eraser 26 is slidable within the inner channel member i 2, and may be positively projected from one end of the easing in a series of steps as it is worn away, by depressing a manually-operable member (hereinafter referred to) slidable in the inner casing I 2 and projecting from the other end thereof. The internal mechanism by which the outward step-by-step movement or the eraser 26 is effected will now be described.

A slide-member 28, frictionally engaging and sliding in said inner channel member i2, is provided with means such as a lug 353 which is adapted'to cooperate with an opening in the eraser 26 near the inner end thereof as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and '7. This slide-member 23 may be of any suitable construction, and is shown as made of sheet metal bent to the form shown and provided with a spring 32 which cooperates with the inner side of one'of the side walls of the inner channel member l2, thereby providing for frictional engagement between the slide-member E28 and the inner channel member It. The slidemember 28 is provided with a lug as which cooperates with the folded-in portion 25 of the outer channel member Ill and prevents the slide member 28 irom being entirely withdrawn from the casing when a new eraser is being inserted. The slide-member 2B is also provided with a lug 34 located as shown and adapted to engage with the teeth on a ratchet-bar 35 hereinafter referred to. Also arranged for sliding movement within the inner channel member i2, is a man ually-operable member 36 which projects from the casing at the end opposite the end from which the eraser 26 projects. The manuallyoperable member 36 is provided with a stud 38 upon which is pivotally mounted the ratchet-bar 35 which is provided with teeth 42 and a lug it which are adapted to cooperate with the lug 34% on the slide-member 28. Located in a cavity it in the manually-operable member 3%, is a com pression spring 46 which at one end cooperates with an end of said cavity 44 and at the other end cooperates with an offset on the short end of the ratchet-bar 35, thereby biasing the ratchet-bar 35, into engagement with the lug 3t on the slide-member 38. Secured in side walls of and extending across the inner channel member i2, is a pin 48 to which is secured a cam 50 preferably of sheet metal of the form shown which is adapted. to cooperate with a cam surface 5.2 on the ratchet-bar 35 when the manuallyoperable member 36 is depressed as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, thereby moving the ratchet-bar to the positions shown in those figures. In order to enlarge the effective diameter of the pin 48 for purposes later mentioned, the latter is provided. with a sleeve 54. Extending between the sleeve 54 and a shoulder on the manuallyoperable member 36, is a compression spring 56 which serves to bias the manually-operable member 36 to its outermost position shown in Figs. 1 and 5. That is, the spring 56 in effect cooperates with the casing of the device and with the manually-operable member 36, and biases the latter outwardly from the casing. The outward movement of the manually-operable member 36, under the influence of the spring 56, is limited by the engagement of an ofiset 58 extending from the lug 43 on the ratchet-bar 35 (see Fig. 9) which engages the sleeve 54 on the pin 48, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The manner in which the device operates will now be described. Fig. 7 shows the device ready for the insertion of a new eraser, the slide-member 28 being at one end of the casing and the manually-operable member 36 being at that time held by the thumb of the user in its completely depressed position so that all the teeth 42 and the oiT-set 58 on the ratchet-bar 35 are out of the path (marked Clearance Line") of the lug 34 on the slide-member 28. A new eraser 25 is then inserted in the end of the casing with the opening in the eraser in en agement with the lug 36 of the slide-member 28; and the eraser 25 and the slide-member 28 are then manually pushed into the casing until they reach the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the manuallyoperable member 36 is released and allowed to assume the position shown in Fig. 1, under the influence of the compression spring 56. During this movement of the slide-member 28, the spring 32 provides frictional engagement between the slide-member 28 and the inner channel member E2 necessary to prevent unwanted movement of the eraser 26. When the exposed end of the eraser 26 has been used up sufficiently to make it necessary to expose more of the eraser, the manually-operable member 36 is depressed to the position shown in Fig. 3, which results in moving the slide-member 28 to the position shown in that figure by the engagement of the ratchetbar 35 with the lug 34 on the s1ide-member 28.

When this movement of the slide-member 28 has been achieved and the eraser 26 has been correspondingly extended from the casing, release of thumb pressure on the manually-operable member 36 allows that member and the ratchet-bar 4-0 to move from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. and the eraser is ready for further use. As will be apparent from Fig. 3, the movement of the manually-operable member 36 to the position shown in that figure results in bringing the cam surface 52 on the ratchet-bar 38 into engagement with the cam 58 thereby moving the ratchet-bar 38 against the influence of the compression spring 56; and when the mechanism has been allowed to return to the position shown in Fig. 5 the lug 34 engages another tooth in the ratchet bar 38. As

more of the eraser is used up, the manually-v operable member 36 may be again depressed, with the result that the slide-member 28 is again moved a step and the eraser 26 is correspondingly extended from the casing. When the eraser is substantially used up, a new eraser may be inserted as hereinbefore described. The folded portion 25 of the outer channel member In serves not only as a stop with which the lug 23 cooperates (as hereinbefore explained), but also serves to hold the eraser snugly in the easing at the end from which the eraser projects.

It is to be understood that the various elements of the device may be modified without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An erasing device comprising an elongated casing rectangular in cross-section, a long and relatively thin eraser slidable within said casing and projecting from one end thereof, a slidemember frictionally engaging and slidable in said casing and provided with means cooperating with an end of said eraser and also provided with a. lug adapted to cooperate with the ratchet-bar hereinafter mentioned, a manually-operable member slidable in said casing and projecting from the other end thereof, a ratchet-bar pivotally mounted on said manually-operable member and cooperating with said lug on said slidemember, a spring cooperating with said manually-operable member and with said ratchetbar and biasing the latter into engagement with said lug, a cam supported by said casing and cooperating with said ratchet-bar at the end of the inward movement of the manually-operable member thereby pivotally moving said ratchetbar out of engagement with said lug on said slidemember, and spring means cooperating with said casing and manually-operable member and biasing the latter outwardly from said casing.

2. An erasing device comprising an elongated casing rectangular in cross-section and consist-- ing of cooperating outer and inner channelmembers, a long and relatively thin eraser slidable within said inner channel-member and projecting from one end of said casing, a slidemember frictionally engaging and slidable in said inner channel-member and provided with means cooperating with an end of said eraser and also provided with a lug adapted to cooperate with the ratchet-bar hereinafter mentioned, a manually-operable member slidable in said inner channel-member and projecting from the other end of said casing, a ratchet-bar pivotally mounted on said manually-operable member and cooperating with said lug on said slidemember, a spring cooperating with said manually-operable member and with said ratchet-bar and biasing the latter into engagement with said lug, a cam supported by said inner channelmember and cooperating with said ratchet-bar at the end of the inward movement of the man ually operable member thereby pivotally moving said ratchet-bar out of engagement with said lug on said slide-member, and spring means cooperating with said casing and manually-operable member and biasing the latter outwardly fror said casing.

EARL H. METCALF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I Date 

